Norway at Frieze London & Frieze Masters |
London, Frieze Masters, 14 - 18 October: OSL contemporary are presenting Aase Texmon Rygh (1925–2019) at Frieze Masters.
Considered a true pioneer of Scandinavian modernism and revered in Norway as the "Mother of modernist sculpture," Texmon Rygh created a unique vocabulary where corporeal intuition meets with geometric rigor.
Part of the Spotlight sector at Frieze Masters, this historical presentation traces the artist's evolution from dance-inspired bronzes of the early 1950s through her mathematical abstractions of the 1970s. While Texmon Rygh's work reflects a dialogue with European modernism, her sculptures embody a distinct Nordic sensibility. Infused with her passions, she translated ephemeral gestures into unique and enduring sculptural forms.
Aase Texmon Rygh, photo courtesy of the artist's estate. |
London, Frieze, 14 - 18 October: APALAZZOGALLERY present a solo booth dedicated to Norwegian artist Ann Iren Buan, whose tactile works explore fragility, vulnerability and decay.
Buan’s monumental paper-based works blur the boundaries between drawing and sculpture. Through processes of soaking, rubbing, scratching and layering dry pastels, she creates delicate surfaces that suggest both damage and repair, with color carrying strong emotional resonance. The presentation will feature a new selection of works building on the narrative of the gallery’s recent exhibition, Slivers.
Ann Iren Buan (born 1984, Stjørdal, Norway) lives and works in Oslo, Norway. She completed a master’s degree in 2011 at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts. She also studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. Her works are part of several public and private collections, including the National Museum of Norway and the Norwegian Parliament Art Collection.
Ann Iren Buan, Gilded Phantoms, 2026, Drypastels on paper, dry pastels and wax oil on birch frame. Courtesy the Aritst and APALAZZOGALLERY. Photo by fotostudio Rapuzzi. |
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This Weekend: New Nordic Voices Contemporary Film Festival, presented by UCL |
London, UCL East Cinema, 2-4 October: As UCL celebrates its bicentenary, this new three-day festival celebrates the richness and diversity of contemporary Nordic film. The festival showcases recently released films from across the major languages of the Nordic region: Danish, Greenlandic, Faroese, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Old Norse, the Sámi language group, and Swedish. Among the screenings is Armand (2024) from director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, starring Renate Reinsve.
The festival promotes the creativity of pan-Nordic filmmaking in the UK and provide a platform for students and members of the public to watch and appreciate Nordic arthouse, as well as shining a spotlight on student and staff excellence in both Nordic and Film studies.
Tickets for all screenings are free and open to the public. Follow the link below to secure your place.
Photo courtesy of the festival. |
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London, Shepherd's Bush Empire, 3 October: As part of their return to the stage, Norwegian alt-rock band Kaizers Orchestra head out on an extensive European tour in October 2026.
Since the release of their landmark debut Ompa til du dør in 2001, Kaizers Orchestra has built a cult fan following across the globe.The band seamlessly blend rock energy with theatrical cabaret and avant-garde percussion. They have built a reputation as one of the most electrifying live acts in the world, with fans screaming back their Norwegian lyrics (even if they don't speak the language!)
Kaizers Orchestra, photo: Joachim Goa Steinbru. |
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Now Open: Burning Down the House |
Oxford, Schwarzman Centre, until 10 October: When Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House was first performed in 1879, its end scene of heroine Nora walking out on her family scandalised audiences, and has since been hailed as a feminist classic. But behind the plot is a dark secret – Ibsen stole his story from the real-life circumstances of a young Danish-Norwegian writer, Laura Kieler – threatening her marriage, reputation and career. Created by theatre company Breach and powered by research from prof. Kirsten Shepherd, Burning Down the House takes a flamethrower to Ibsen’s original play and shines a light on Laura Kieler.
Rehearsed Reading: Men of Honour, 10 October: Breach presents a script-in-hand reading of Laura Kieler’s Men of Honour, her bitingly satirical response to her life story being stolen by Ibsen for A Doll’s House. The play tells the story of a young woman captivated by a famous writer who appropriates people’s lives for his art and then discards them. More info here.
Get an exclusive ticket discount for Burning Down the House; 10% off tickets across all dates and price bands, subject to availability. Use promo code: KIELER10 at checkout. The discount will be applied once the promo code is entered during booking. |
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London, 7 - 18 October, BFI Southbank & other locations: The London Film Festival presents 12 days of the world’s best new films, series and immersive storytelling. This is your chance to delight in the undiscovered, as all feature films and series are being shown in the UK for the first (and sometimes the only) time.
Not been able to get tickets yet? Look out for extra ticket releases ahead of the screenings.
This year's festival includes the highly-anticipated UK Premiere of Fjord, by Romanian Director Christian Mungiu and starring Renate Reinsve. Winner of this year's Palme d'or at Cannes, Fjord was filmed in Hjørundfjorden, western Norway, in spring last year. The film will be shown in a gala screening at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall on 17 October.
The programme includes several other films with Norwegian co-producers: 9 Temples to Heaven Ben’Imana
The Difficult Bride Elephants in the Fog
Hearing No Good Men
PLEASE, in the programme Life / Drawing The Station
Stolen Memories, in the programme Altered States
Still from Fjord, courtesy of Picturehouse Entertainment. |
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Ibsen's Ghosts at Jermyn Street Theatre |
London, 8 Oct - 14 Nov: Norway, 1881. Years ago, Helene sent her beloved son away from the family home. Today, Oswald returns. His arrival coincides with the grand opening of an orphanage to commemorate the tenth anniversary of his father’s death. But as mother and son reunite, long-buried secrets emerge – setting off a chain reaction that threatens to consume them both.
Kwame Owusu directs Richard Eyre’s powerful adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts. This family drama examines our hunger to be free – from our past, society, and destiny – and the cost on the people that we love the most.
Pre-show Debate 21 October 5.45pm – 6.45pm: What is contemporary culture’s inheritance from Ibsen and his contemporaries? Tickets are free, but please reserve tickets in advance via the theatre's website. Use this exclusive ticket discount for 'Ghosts' to get £25 tickets reduced from £40: IBSEN25 |
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Christian Houge: Echoes of Utopia |
London, Art Forward Gallery, 15 – 30 October: Art Forward Gallery presents Echoes of Utopia, a solo exhibition by artist Christian Houge.
The exhibition brings together Houge’s photographs of the “Spomeniks”, monumental Brutalist Second World War memorials across the Balkans. Once conceived as symbols of unity, progress and a shared future, many now stand in varying states of decay.
Rather than treating them simply as historical records, Houge presents the monuments as sites for reflecting on collective memory, ideology and the passage of time.
Using the collodion silver wet-plate process, an analogue technique dating from the 1850s, Houge creates a striking contrast between enduring concrete structures and fragile, unpredictable images.
Christian Houge, Star in Field, photo courtesy of the artist and Art Forward Gallery. |
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King's Lynn, 3 October : As part of the King's Lynn Book Festival, Stein Ringen and Ørjan Karlsson are speaking in the session 'Scandi Noir: How it All Began'.
Karlsson's latest book to be released in English, Into the Dark, translated by Ian Giles, was published by Orenda Books earlier this year. |
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| Åsne Seierstad:
Never Say War |
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An Evening with Karl Ove Knausgaard |
London, Kings Place, 2 November: One of the world’s most celebrated writers, Karl Ove Knausgaard joins Intelligence Squared to discuss Arendal, the latest novel in his otherworldly Morning Star universe.
Join him live at Kings Place for a conversation about longing, loneliness, the uncanny and his extraordinary literary career, followed by an audience Q&A.
Karl Ove Knausgård, credit: Sølve Sundsbø for D2. |
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Trio Mediæval with Arve Henriksen: Rímur |
London, Smith Square Hall, London Festival of Baroque Music, 30 October: Inspired by the historic connection between Rivedal in Norway and Reykjavík, symbolised by twin statues of the Viking Arnarson gazing across the sea, this collaboration between Norwegian vocal trio Trio Mediæval and celebrated jazz trumpeter Arve Henriksen brings Nordic musical heritage into the present.
Weaving together sacred hymns, 17th-century Icelandic music, and centuries-old oral traditions, the programme creates a vividly atmospheric musical landscape. From the storytelling rhythms of Icelandic rímur to the wordless vocal art of Scandinavian “tralling,” it offers a powerful exploration of the voice across time and place.
Rooted in tradition yet alive with innovation, Rímur continues a living musical legacy passed down through generations.
Trio Mediæval, photo: © Julia Marie Naglestad. |
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Glasgow, Glasgow City Chambers, 30 October: Line Hellum, Associate Partner at Nordic Office of Architecture, will deliver a keynote presentation at RIAS Live 2026, Scotland’s largest annual gathering of architects. Presenting “Education and Home: What Makes a Home?”, Line Hellum will explore the relationship between architecture, learning environments, and the places we live, offering insights from Nordic practice and experience. Hosted by RIAS, RIAS Live brings together architects and built environment professionals from across Scotland and beyond for a dynamic programme of discussion, networking, and professional learning. This year’s theme, “Renewal by Design,” will examine how architecture can respond to contemporary challenges while creating resilient, inclusive, and sustainable places for future generations. |
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Through Our Eyes: Sámi Art and Culture |
London, Somerset House, 6 November - 7 February 2027: The Sámi are Europe’s only recognised Indigenous people, whose traditional land spans the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Presented across five of our galleries, this free exhibition brings together 19 incredible artists working today. You'll discover a huge mix of creative styles, from sculpture and photography to video and performance art.
The exhibition is curated by Sámi visual artist Matti Aikio and Somerset House’s Director of Exhibitions Dr Cliff Lauson.
Through Our Eyes - Sámi Art and Culture will tour to Kunstsilo, Kristiansand, Norway in Spring 2027.
Nenetsia, 2020-2025, by Keviselie / Hans Ragnar Mathisen - © Keviselie / Hans Ragnar Mathisen. Courtesy the Artist and Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery. |
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All Prisons Should be Art Schools:
Perspectives from the UK and Norway |
London, Two Temple Place, 10 November: Artist Bob and Roberta Smith chairs a panel discussion exploring the role of art education in prisons and the value of international exchange in supporting creative practice. Panellists include: Dag Erik Elgin, artist (Norway); Kristine Jærn Pilgaard, independent curator (Norway); James Lomax, artist (UK); James Latunji-Cockbill, Art in Prisons Producer, Ikon (UK).
Drawing on experiences from the UK/Norway Art in Prisons Exchange 2026 – led by Ikon at HMP Grendon, Buckinghamshire and Agder Kunstakademi at Agder Prison, Froland – the discussion will reflect on the opportunities and challenges of developing artistic and curatorial practices within carceral environments. It considers how international collaboration can enrich prison art school programmes by generating meaningful exchange across borders.
Ikon x Agder Kunstakademi: UK/Norway Art in Prisons Exchange is supported by KORO – Public Art Norway and Marie-Louise von Motesiczky Charitable Trust. This event is in partnership with Two Temple Place and the Embassy.
Dag Erik Elgin, photo courtesy of the artist. |
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Looking Ahead: Norway at the London Jazz Festival |
London, 13-22 November: Every November, the EFG London Jazz Festival takes over the city, with a diverse line-up showcasing global stars and emerging talent.
As the biggest pan-city music festival in Europe, it brings over 100k audience members together at 300+ live shows at venues across the city, from basement jazz bars to the world’s finest concert halls. The festival is the highlight of the jazz calendar in the UK, with a long history of programming a wide variety of talent from around the world.
This year's lineup from Norway includes:
Wednesday 18 November
Jazz Cafe: RYMDEN Thursday 19 November
Milton Court: Jaga Jazzist
Friday 20 November
Cadogan Hall: Tania Giannouli & Nils Petter Molvær
Union Chapel: Charlotte Dos Santos
Ladbroke Hall: Martin Nodeland Quartet
Jaga Jazzist, photo courtesy of the Barbican. |
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Looking ahead: Skodespelet (The Play) by Jon Fosse at Coronet Theatre |
London, 26 - 29 November: The UK premiere of Nobel Prize-winning playwright Jon Fosse's latest work, Skodespelet (The Play) performed by Det Norske Teatret, comes to The Coronet Theatre this November. Richly layered, mysterious and surprisingly funny, the play follows four travellers waiting for a boat whose destination remains unknown.
“One of Fosse’s very best plays, perhaps the best…. A well-written and extremely clever piece of drama” – Würmstuggu Directed by Johannes Holmen Dahl and presented in Norwegian (Nynorsk) with English surtitles, this acclaimed production premiered at Det Norske Teatret during the 2025 Fosse Festival. |
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MORE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY |
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